A floor beam supports floor joists in homes with basements and can be made of steel or wood. It is supported by adjustable jacks and prevents sagging. Floor joists are commonly made of steel and rest on notches in the foundation. They can be concealed or left exposed and may require glue or nails for support. Some buildings use a floor beam for visual appeal and support.
A floor beam is a large beam, typically steel, that spans the width of a house in the center and provides support for the floor joists. The floor beam is commonly used in homes that have a basement. The beam is usually supported along its length with adjustable jacks which rest on concrete footings and are adjusted upwards to secure the floor beam and prevent it from sagging. With the advent of the chipboard beam, some builders choose to give up the steel beam for the wooden product. One advantage to using steel beam is that it is less prone to twisting and sagging than a similarly sized wooden beam.
The open space of a basement forces the builder to take steps to prevent the floor from sagging as the joists pass through the opening unsupported. With all the materials builders use to prevent this from happening, nothing is quite as successful at supporting a floor as a floor joist. Commonly formed from a steel “I”-beam, the floor beam rests on notches built into the house’s foundation at each end. The length of the beam will determine how many floor jacks will be required to provide support along the full length of the beam.
The floor joist itself is commonly concealed by the ceiling tiles of a finished basement, while the joists are usually recessed and blended into the surrounding area by the use of paint, paneling or wallpaper. In an unfinished basement, the beam and jacks are typically left exposed. When using a steel floor joist, some builders apply a bead of epoxy or strong glue under the floor joists to keep them from slipping on the steel surface. On a wooden beam, joists are commonly nailed to the beam to prevent squeaks and skidding.
It is common for a builder to use a floor beam only on the first floor of a building and to rely on internal walls and other internal features to give support to any subsequent upper floors. Some building designs, especially those that incorporate a large open space or loft-style upper floor, can often utilize a large wood floor beam to add architectural strength and visual appeal to the structure. Buildings such as log homes are often designed with large wooden beams spanning the width of the upper floors, including the roof, to provide needed support without sacrificing traditional visual appeal.
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